Billy Graham is Still Speaking

I grew up listening to Billy Graham with my parents as a child. I am amazed that he is still staying active with writing and contributing his voice to the events of today. He could have decided to go into "retirement", never to be heard from again. But, he continues to keep his mind active, and I admire that about him.  He is aging gracefully and with dignity. Often, the media presents the elderly as bum-fumbling, cranky, and less than desirable people to be around. Rev. Billy Graham definitely does not fit this mold!

“Storm Warning” Poised To Find New Audience

NewsUSA) – Billy Graham, an iconic spiritual advisor who has preached to more people around the world than any other religious leader in history, sees warning signs in current events. “Depression today not only describes the hard economic state of affairs sweeping our world but the human state of mind,” writes Graham. “I see this unfolding phenomenon as one of the many storm clouds hovering over a lost and dying world.”
To help people weather today’s economic and cultural climate, Graham has completely revised his book “Storm Warning” which was originally written and published in 1992, in response to the fall of Communism and the Gulf War.
“Trouble brewing in the Middle East especially heightened interest in what the Bible had to say about the end days,” Graham writes. “People began to wonder if there might really be something to the ancient prophecies spoken by God’s prophets, and confirmed by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
This new edition of “Storm Warning” offers Graham’s perspective on the post-9/11 world. “We felt that in light of recent developments since 9/11 it might be helpful to reprint the book, bringing it up to date since the turn of the century,” writes Graham’s son, Franklin, in the book’s foreword.
The book looks at current events and how they relate to Biblical prophecy, especially a small part of the book of Revelations. “Scripture speaks of earthquakes, wars, and rumors of wars, and warns us with urgency to prepare for the storms to come,” writes Graham.
God may bring storms, Graham posits, but He also offers shelter. “Just as a laser pen helps focus attention on vital aspects of a business presentation, in this book, I hope to use God’s Word -; His laser beam — to shed light on His revealed plan to save the human race from the explosive clouds rumbling through our world.”
For more information, visit www.thomasnelson.com.

Spring Cleaning is in the Air

Spring is right around the corner. If you're like me, you can't wait to get outside and enjoy the nice weather! With Spring also comes some much needed repairs to the home, spring-cleaning inside, and planting flowers and shrubbery. Consider these tips to select the next color for your home's exterior.

8 Tips to Selecting Colors for Your Home’s Exterior

(NewsUSA) – You’ve no doubt driven down a street, seen a house, and thought, “Yikes! What were they thinking?”
Colors can evoke a visceral response, especially on home exteriors. At once both personal and public, colors make a first impression, can accentuate attributes and soften flaws and offer a glimpse into your personality.
“Homeowners can be influenced by many sources — friends and neighbors, magazines, TV shows or the guy at the hardware store — so you’ll need to be careful you’re not just chasing the latest trend; otherwise, your house might be the one that people end up rolling their eyes at,” says PBS home improvement expert Vicki Payne.
Payne says you’ll be happy for years to come by following eight tips on selecting colors for your home’s exterior:
1. Deciding between bright and cheerful colors or deep, rich earth tones will influence all other decisions.
2. Pick colors that will blend in with your surroundings.
3. Make sure your choices in siding and trim don’t clash with materials you are not going to replace, such as roof shingles, brick, stone and tile.
4. The size and lot location of your house matter. Light colors can make a house look bigger, and dark colors can make it look smaller.
5. Landscaping will continue to grow and change colors as the seasons change, so trees, shrubs and flowering gardens need to be considered.
6. Use neutral colors to de-emphasize things such as an air conditioning unit or gutters and downspouts, and use contrasting or accent colors to highlight things such as architectural detailing, porch railings, windows and front doors.
7. Computer visualizers can give a general idea of what colors will look like, but large swatches (about 2 by 3 feet) give a truer look at what colors might actually look like on your home. (Take a look at the swatches at different times of day. The colors will look different as the intensity of the sunlight changes.)
8. Make it last. Who wants to invest thousands of dollars every few years to re-paint? An alternative is pre-painted planks, but their finishes degrade just like paint. Better are cladding products that are certified and warranted to retain their color over their lifespan. Vinyl and other polymeric siding manufactures incorporate color at the front end of production — actually blending the pigment into the formulation. The color can’t chip, pit or peel, giving homeowners peace of mind that they won’t have to paint or repair the finish. And just like the leading paint manufactures, vinyl siding, soffit, trim and accessories come in an enormous number of colors — from classic lighter colors to deep barn reds, hunter and sage greens, deep blues and more.
“Keeping your home’s exterior looking fresh and timely doesn’t have to be challenging,” Payne says.
For more information about certified vinyl siding, visit www.vinylsiding.org.

Southern Food is Comfort Food

Try this recipe for those days when you want to feel good. Enjoy the cheesy goodness.

Classic Mac ’N’ Cheese: An Easy Peasy Recipe

For so many, macaroni and cheese is a hands-down favorite comfort food. A specialty dish that was introduced to America by Thomas Jefferson, it was his cousin Mary Randolph who popularized it in her cookbook “The Virginia Housewife,” published in 1824.
Whether you dress it up or down or enjoy it as a side or main dish, macaroni and cheese offers delicious versatility and partners perfectly with many meals. It travels well, too, for tailgating or bring-a-dish parties.
This particular macaroni and cheese recipe uses three cheeses, giving it a rich, creamy texture and fantastic flavor. While curly pasta is pictured here, you can easily substitute elbow. With so many tasty possibilities, don’t limit yourself to the variations below.

EASY PEASY CHEESY MACARONI

2 cups (8 ounces) curly or elbow style pasta
1/2 stick butter, divided
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 4-ounce log chevre (a fresh, soft un-ripened goat cheese)
2 cups coarsely shredded Jarlsberg cheese
1 cup cubed American cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 2-quart round ovenproof casserole dish. Cook pasta one minute less than package directions; transfer to colander, and drain. In same pot over very low heat, melt butter; remove from heat. Measure 2 tablespoons butter and, in small bowl, combine it with breadcrumbs and paprika. Set aside.
Return pot to heat. Whisk in flour and simmer until bubbly (1 minute). Gradually add milk, goat cheese and shredded Jarlsberg. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is creamy and thickens slightly. Return pasta to the pot and toss until coated; mix in diced American cheese. Transfer to prepped casserole dish and sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake 30 minutes or until center is bubbly-hot and crumbs are golden. Serves 8-10.

VARIATIONS

When combining pasta with cheese sauce, fold in:
•    2 cups cooked small shrimp (or one can of tuna, drained) with 1 cup frozen petite peas.
•    2 cups each chopped cooked beef and mushrooms.
•    2 cups each cubed kielbasa or ham and chopped grape tomatoes. Instead of buttered breadcrumb topping, top with crushed, lightly salted tortilla chips.
•    2 cups each chopped cooked chicken and broccoli florets.
•    2 cups cauliflower florets with 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon.
newsusa.com

Family Reunions...A Southern Tradition

Something truly southen. Families meeting for good food and seeing family members that you haven't seen in "a coon's age". That's a southern saying, in case you don't know it. It means "in a very long time".

We recently held our Canady, Lewis, Jackson Reunion in Warner Robins, Georgia. Family showed up in droves! The small kids got to meet and play with cousins that they did not know. It was an awesome sight to behold-the next generation. We were amazed at how we have turned into the elders that we once looked upon with awe and were saddened that so many of them are no longer with us. We ate sooo much good food, worshipped together and made plans for the next reunion in 2016 in Miami, Florida. Just in case you haven't started the family reunion tradition, here are some resources that I have found helpful. Happy planning!

1.  celebrate.myevent.com has a basic package that is free and enables you to accept registration and social media integration.  Paid packages allow for an address book, family tree, emails, memorials and other neat features.

2.  family-reunion.com is Mister Spiffy's Reunion Planner. It includes everything from reunion software to free resources to planning tips.

3.   reunionsmag.com is for reunion planners of every kind-from families, to classes, to military and others.

4.   http://issuu.com/premier/docs/reunions_2012_12th_edition_lr (a reunion workbook).


Me with one of my daughters and some of my grands at the reunion